Spectre Miniatures Rolls Out The Heavy Armour

This week from Spectre Miniatures is all about vehicles. We have one brand new physical release and one refurbished version of an old friend.

First up, we have the new! Patrons of the Spectre Patreon received the Challenger 3 as STLs a few weeks back, but it’s now time for the latest (and largest) British MBT to make itself available to those not printing for themselves. There are two versions available from the Spectre: the basic variant and the variant with the add-on Epsom armour you can see above. You can also get the STLs for both variants in a single release; if you have a considerable amount of resin, you’ll need to print it yourself. This is on the Spectre website now.

The old friend is the JLTV. I have multiples of the kit from back in 2019, when they were released (and it also showed up in the Operation Rubicon battle report back in 2022), and I remember it as a pretty fantastic version of a brand-new vehicle. However, it turns out things were a little too new, and the dimensions were based on initial reporting, which made the kit a little oversized. Now, Spectre has decided to revisit the JLTV and correct the size down to match real-world proportions. They have also added new parts to the set, with the JLTV now featuring the more common frame over the rear section rather than the rear box used on the M1245 MATV. The set now in the store also comes with an RWS and a turret, giving you plenty of options for how to run this vehicle. If you want the STLs, you can find them at the Mechanised Infantry tier over on Patreon.

BobMack3d Finishes Division Mécanisée

As quickly as it came, the latest BobMack3d Kickstarter is over. Division Mécanisée did very well, funding itself and reaching a chunk of the stretch goals, adding two additional variants of the AMX-30 and the original version of the AMX-13 that appeared all over the world. Now we just have to wait for Kickstarter to handle the funds, and then we’ll get a pile of new French armour for the tabletop. In the meantime, have a preview of the stowed version of the Hotchkiss M201, complete with AA-52 on the pintle mount.

They also mentioned the next Kickstarter should be a little different, so I am very interested to hear what they have been cooking up.

Echelon Software Drops _NearPresent Playthrough And YouTube

Echelon Software, fresh off releasing the final components for _NearPresent, has released an incredibly useful playthrough of a turn of their latest game. Found on the _NearPresent website, it’s a written version of the demo that was previously shown off at wargaming shows such as NOVA back at the start of the month. This playthrough, which includes a PDF showing the layout, goes through the full turn, introducing you to the aspects of the game such as the turn structure, the new Airspace phase (and the usefulness of the various air assets), introducing the Warfighting Units of Hankou and Anchorage and the combat that will be familiar to any BPRE28mm fans, with a few adjustments. If you haven’t taken a look at the game, I strongly recommend reading this example play to see what the team has done.

Additionally, _NearPresent have launched a YouTube page covering the setting. The first video shows what’s available at launch, but it’s worth keeping an eye on as the project continues.

Ludocortorum Launches OPEX

Turns out French Armour Kickstarters are a bit like buses – you wait for one, and two come along at the same time. From Ludocortorum, and recommended by Miska Miniatures, the Kickstarter OPEX intends to cover French armour from the 1980s and into the 1990s. Following a first attempt focused on Gulf War 1, this Kickstarter has expanded its goals.

The core set includes five vehicles: AMX-30B2, VAV troop carrier, AMX-10 RC, ERC-90 Sagie and Peugeot P4 utility vehicle. These are scaled for both 1/50 (god’s true scale) and 1/100 and also come pre-supported and unsupported. There are also some add-on packs, adding French infantry, a heavy mortar and even a Gazelle with various weapon systems to add. However, what’s more interesting is what sits in the stretch goals – as well as the Gulf War AMX-30 and the AMX-30 Brennus, future stretch goals include the Panhard VBL (one of my favourite cute vehicles), the AMX-30 Auf1 Self-propelled howitzer and even the Leclerc S1, if you want your MBT to be a little more recent and have armour protection which is not based around high speed and vibes.

The Kickstarter runs until early October, with plenty of days left to unlock the stretch goals.

Don’t Drink And Paint Releases Masked Trackers and Low Profile Fighters

Don’t Drink and Paint has added two more packs to its range: one expanding its Societal Collapse sets to include some familiar foes, and the other adding some fancy folk better suited to the modern day.

As a fan of ballistic facemasks and heavy armour, I love the Trackers (or Hunters, as you may have also heard them called), high-tier enemies designed to hunt down your player characters. From a game design perspective, they provide you with a high level of challenge compared to the regular enemies. Visually, they look rad as hell. The pack includes six characterful and heavily armed figures, with a load of cool kit and suited for a variety of roles.

Urban Scatter Gaming Shows Off The Brownstones And Reveals The Design Suite

Urban Scatter Gaming has been a little delayed this month due to personal matters (and I wish him all the best as he handles them). However, because he is a sensible chap who has prepared many of the releases months in advance (minus a few tweaks), September’s release will give you some classic urban spaces in the form of Brownstones. Although technically a term for the building material used to clad the outside, brownstones more commonly refer to rows of terraced, multi-floor townhouses found in many East Coast US cities such as New York, Philadelphia, and Boston. As you might expect from a USG release, the modular release breaks the building up to make it easy to print and includes multiple upper-floor variants to add variety to the structures.

For those at the Designer Tier, you’ll get your hands on a derelict variant of the Brownstones, giving you lots of little details to make the buildings look more distressed and damaged – boarded-up windows, broken, failing steps, barricades, and, of course, the creeping ivy. You can mix these parts with the normal parts, letting you assemble some locations that haven’t quite reached the zombie apocalypse stage but may need a little regeneration. The Designer tier also comes with a set of figures, despite Wedge from USG saying figure production was a one-off last month. I look forward to USG joining the figure sculptors section of my notes.

The other bit of news is the launch of the USG Design Suite. This free online tool helps you set up your board and plan buildings. The building planner is especially useful, letting you design your own structures (complete with measurements and a few preset parts such as staircases, doors, and windows). This great tool is if you’re planning on building your own structures, either for non-3D printed construction or if you’re using someone else’s modular kit. The footprint can then be integrated in the Board Builder.

Yep, the Board Builder tool. So this is what I feel like everyone has previously been doing on pieces of graph paper and with a considerable amount of swearing. This tool offers less swearing and much more productivity, letting you lay out boards up to 1000 x 1000 mm before combining them into larger tables from 2’x 2′ up to a massive 10′ x 4′. With a layering system that mirrors building the actual board (base material, pavement, structures and props), support for all the USG releases on Patreon so far (as well as a custom option) and a handy export tool that tells you everything you need to print, this is a great tool that is well worth taking a look at even if you aren’t on the Patreon. The website is still technically in testing, so if you have any issues, you can contact Wedge on the USG Discord.

Also, I should point out the website supports dark mode and even has two little minigames you can find on the main page. Especially if you’re a fan of a certain 1993 Sensible Software game.

Combat Octopus Returns to the Brits and Is Planning Ahead

Combat Octopus has been hard at work on its next release: a second set of four figures to complete the British section. So far, we have seen two more poses in the WIP stage (see above), with another MG gunner on the way. Hopefully we get another pose for the L85A2 with UGL to help build up a full section. We should see them before the end of the month.

However, he has also been looking ahead to plan out Q4’s release. There has been a little extra talk about the Verlorene style, including which era of German SF it’s based on. I’m really looking forward to these sets, as I can see it’s something Combat Octopus is looking forward to working on.

Turnbase Miniatures Releases Japanese SDF For August Tier 1 Patrons

Finally, Turnbase Miniatures has released its first figures for the August patrons, with both the Sci-Fi and Tier 1 figures sent out. Tier 1, in this case, is a selection of figures for the Japanese Self-Defence Force (JGSDF specifically), including two riflemen, a Squad Automatic Gunner, and two figures carrying the Panzerfaust 3. These figures have been sent to the August patrons at Tier 1 or higher, and are also available on MyMiniFactory.